Multiple-signal transmitter.



No. 727,543 PATENTED MAY 5, 1903.

. G. E. KING.

MULTIPLE SIGNAL TRANSMITTER.

T I? .Z. V W14. M'ZNEESSGSI I ZJFW ZZQ X UNirn STATES Patented May 5, 1903.

PATENT OFFIC GEORGE E. KING, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GAMEVVELL FIRE ALARM TELEGRAPH CO., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MULTIPLE-SIGNAL TRANSMITTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,543, dated May 5, 1903.

Application filed December 11, 1902. Serial No. 134,757. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LG ORGE E. KING,Of Newton, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented'an Improvement in Multiple-Signal Transmitters", of which the following description, in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to multiple-signal transmitters having a pointer for operating a suitable controlling or selecting device for placing the transmitter in condition to transmit different signals, and has for its object to improve the construction of the means employed for holding or retaining the pointer in its several positions and also to improve the construction of the means employed for positively locking the pointer in its several different positions while the transmitter is operating, and also to improve the construction of the means employed for automatically restoring the pointer to its normal position.

The multiple transmitter herein shown, to which my invention is applied, is shown and described in my application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 14,308, filed April 25, 1900.

Figure 1 shows in front elevation a multiple-signal transmitter having a pointer and means embodying this invention for setting it to transmit the diiferent signals. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the multiple-signal transmitter shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the multiple-signaltransmitter shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and Fig. 4: is a detail of the restoring device for the pointer-shaft.

In the particular form of-multiple-signal transmitter herein shown, to which my invention is applied; a represents the signal-wheel, which is adapted to be rotated by a suitable train-as, for instance, said wheel is secured to a shaft a, bearing a pinion a which is engaged by a toothed gear a secured to a sleeve a, mounted loosely upon a shaft a and said toothed gear a carries a pawl a which engages a ratchet-toothed wheel a secured to said shaft a The winding-arm b is secured to said shaft 0. by means of which said shaft is turned in one direction a partial revolution independently of the toothed gear a and a mainspring Z) is connected to said shaft a,

which serves to restore it and at such times rotate the toothed gear a A toothed gearc is secured to the shaft to, which engages a pinion c, secured to a shaftvc (see dotted lines, Fig. 3,) bearing an escape-wheel 0 with which cooperates a suitable pallet 0 secured to a shaft 0 carrying a fan 0 This train when operated is designed to impart to the signalwheel a one complete revolution; yet in lieu of the train herein shown any other suitable form of construction of train or equivalent motor mechanism may be employed. The train is supported by the face-plates d d, which are secured together by suitable posts.

The signal-wheel a is formed or provided with a signaling-surface on its edge for several dififerent signals, and a circuit-operating device is adapted to be operated by said signal-wheel, which, as shown, consists of two contact-pens f f adapted to engage and disengage each other to make and break the circuit, one of said pens, as f, being rigidly secured to a pivoted block f and the other, as f, being pivoted to said pivoted block f and acted upon by a s'pringffl'which moves it into engagement with the pen f. The contactpens ff each have acont'act-point f A circuit-wire 2 is connected to one of said contact-pens and a circuit-wire 3 to the other. The contact-pen f has a projection g and the contact-pen fhasa projection g, and said projections aredisposed one in advance of the other and adapted to engage the signalwheel d,-so that as the signal-wheel revolves first one and then the other contact-pen will be moved.

A controlling or selecting device is provided whereby a number of difierent signals may be transmitted with but a single'signalwheel and a single pair of contact-pens, said controlling device being" adapted to control the position of the contact-pens relative to the signal-wheel. The. controlling device herein shown consists of a cam' h, secured'to a shaft h, having its bearings in the frame d cl and having attached to it a pointer W, by means of which it may be turned at will, and the contact-pens f f are suitably extended and provided at their extremities with projections 'i t", which engage said cam 7L, and said projections 2 z" are disposed one in ad- 'one of said projections.

- theprojections t' z" and in its different positions will obstruct the movement of the contact-pens more or less in a direction toward the signal-wheel a, except that in one posiiion it will be out of cooperative engagement with both of said contact-pens; yet so far as my present invention is concerned any other suitable form of multiple-signal-transmitting device may be employed. The pointer-shaft h, bearing the cam h, is supported in its bearings in such manner as to be movable endwise or longitudinally for a short distance, and it has projecting laterally from it one or more projections h which move over and continuously engage a toothed ring h, stationarily secured to one of the face-plates, as d, the teeth of said ring it being made V- shaped or triangular, so that said projection h may move over the ring easily and when resting in any of the notches of said ring it will hold the shaft from being too easily rotated. The teeth of the ring it are disposed to hold the shaft h, with its cam h, in the several different positions required for the transmission of the different signals. A spring h is mounted upon said shaft h between the plate 01 and a block 7' on said shaft, which tends to throw said shaft forward and hold it with its projection h in free engagement with the toothed ring. As the pointer is turned the shaft will be rapidly moved endwise against the action of said spring by the projection h passing over the teeth of the ring h; but this movement of the shaft is merely incidental. As a means of restoring said shaft to its normal position a restoring-spring j is provided, which is attached at one end to a post 3' and at the opposite end to one end of a flexible band j, the opposite end of said band being secured to the blockj which is secured to the shaft h. The restoringspring is made strong enough to draw upon the block 7' and turn the shaft h whenever the projections 71 are moved out of the notches of the toothed ring, the shaft at such time being unrestrained, and therefore free to rotate. The projections h are removed from the notches of the ring h by the endwise movement of the shaft h, which is accomplished by closing the door A of the box against the outer end of said shaft, said door in Fig. 3 being represented as part way open. Thus it will be seen that the signal may be set by the pointer and the train started by the actuating-arm b and that by closing the door of the box the shaft It will be moved endwise, its projections 7L3 moved out of the notches of the stationary ring it, and the restoring-spring j permitted to act and restore the pointer-shaft.

It is desirable to provide means for locking spring permitted to act.

the pointer-shaft in fixed position while the transmitter is operating, so that the pointer Will not be accidentally moved during such time and a mixed signal transmitted, and, furthermore, it is necessary that a locking device be provided for the pointer-shaft when the restoring device for said pointer-shaft is adapted to be operated by closing the door of the box in order that the pointer will not be at once restored as soon as the door is closed unless the signal has been transmitted. Therefore the locking device for the pointershaft herein shown is adapted to lock said shaft and hold it while the signal is being transmitted, notwithstanding the door of the box may have been previously closed. The locking device consists of an arm 7c, mounted loosely upon the shaft aflhaving a detent at its outer end which engages either one of a number of notches cut or formed in the edge of the ring 70 which is secured to the pointer-shaft h, and said detent-arm 7c is normally held out of engagement with said ring by a projection 75 secured to the windingshaft a as shown in Fig. '1, and when occupying this position the pointer-shaft is free to be turned; but whenever the winding-arm is operated and the shafta consequently turned the projection R will be moved away from the detent-arm 7c, and said detent-arm will then be at once drawn into engagement with the toothed ring 70 by means of a spring 70 which is connected to it, and when the detent-arm 7t thus engages the toothed ring 70 the pointer-shaft is locked. The detentarm will remain in engagement with the toothed ring 70 until the winding-arm resumes its normal position, for as said winding-arm resumes its normal position the projection 70 will engage said detent-arm 7c and disengage it from the toothed ring 70. As soon as the toothed ring is disengaged the pointer-shaft is free to return to its normal position and will be so returned as soon as said shaft is moved endwise and the restoring- If the door of the box should be closed before the signal has been completely transmitted and the pointershaft thereby moved endwise, the detent-arm It will still hold the pointer-shaft locked by engaging the toothed ring 76', and said shaft will not be restored until the winding-arm has resumed its normal position and has moved the detent-arm out of engagement with the toothed ring.

m represents a stop-pin for the pointershaft, which is engaged by the toothed ring 70 when said shaft resumes its normal position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a multiple signal transmitter, the combination with a signaling-train and a controlling device, of a longitudinally-movable shaft connected with said controlling device, a pointer secured thereto, projections on said shaft, a stationarily-disposed toothed ring which is engaged by said projections, and a spring for moving the shaft in a direction toward said toothed ring, substantially as described.

2. In a multiple-signal transmitter, a signaling-train, a pointer for setting the operating parts of the transmitter in position to transmit the different signals, a rotatable and longitudinally-movable shaft to which said pointer is secured, a stationary ring having V-shaped teeth, one or more projections on the pointer-shaft which cooperate with the teeth of said ring, and a spring for restoring the pointer-shaft to its normal position whenever said projections disengage the ring, substantially as described.

3. In a multiple-signal transmitter, a signaling-train, a pointer for setting the operating parts of the transmitter in position to transmit the different signals, a rotatable and longitudinally-movable shaft to which said pointer is secured, a stationary ring having V-shaped teeth, one or more projections on the pointer-shaft which cooperate with the teeth of said ring, and a spring for pressing said shaft longitudinally to cause said projections to engage with the teeth of said ring and thereby hold said shaft in different predetermined positions, substantially as described.

4. In a multiple-signal transmitter, a signaling-train, a pointer, a rotatable and longitudinally-movable shaft to which it is secured, an engaging device for frictionally holding said shaft in its different positions, into and out of engagement with which it is moved by longitudinal movement thereon, a spring connected to said shaft for restoring it when disengaged from said engaging device, substantially as described.

5. In a multiple-signal transmitter, a signaling-train,apointer-shaftbearingapointer, a toothed ring secured to said shaft, a pivoted detent-arm, a spring for moving said arm into engagement with said ring, a windingshaft for the signaling-train bearing a'winding-arm and means operated by it for moving said detent-arm out of engagement with said ring, substantially as described.

6. In a multiple-signal transmitter, a signaling-train ,a pointer-shaft bearing a pointer, a toothed ring secured to said shaft, a pivoted deteut-arm, a spring for moving said arm into engagement with said ring, a windingshaft for the signaling-train bearing a winding-arm, and a projection on said windingshaft which engages said detent-arm and moves it out of engagement with said ring, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE E. KING.

Witnesses:

B. J. NoYEs, H. B. DAVIS. 

